Incision and drainage of upper lid chalazion

This is Richard Allen at the University of Iowa. This video demonstrates incision and drainage of a chalazion of the left upper eyelid. The eyelid is inspected and everted to show the chalazion. The area is then cleansed with an alcohol pad. The focus of the chalazion is then marked with a marking pen because with infiltration of the area, sometimes the exact location of the chalazion can be lost. The area is then infiltrated with local anesthetic. The area is then prepped with betadine. The chalazion clamp is then placed and the eyelid is everted. This can be somewhat uncomfortable for patients. An 11 blade is then used to incise the chalazion from the inside of the eyelid. This incision should be vertical and parallel to the orientation of the meibomian glands. A chalazion curette is then use to scrape the inside to the chalazion to express the contents. If this were a recurrence, a portion of the capsule would be excised and sent to the pathologist. Pressure with a cotton tipped applicator shows the chalazion to be drained. This pressure with the cotton tipped applicator also demonstrates the underlying meibomian gland disease. The clamp is then removed and antibiotic ointment is placed into the eye.